Biography

Dr. Hauser’s research interests are in the fields of reproductive, perinatal and pediatric epidemiology. His research focuses on the impact of environmental chemicals on fertility, pregnancy outcomes and children’s health. He is currently conducting a NIH funded study on the effects of chemicals classified as endocrine disruptors on male and female reproductive health endpoints. Examples of specific chemicals of interest include persistent compounds (i.e., flame retardants, PCBs and DDT), and non-persistent chemicals including pesticides, phthalates, parabens and bisphenol A. Health endpoints of interest include infertility and pregnancy outcomes such as early pregnancy loss, stillbirth, and measures of fetal growth. Male health endpoints of interest include semen quality and sperm DNA damage, as well as the paternal contribution to adverse pregnancy outcomes. The study is being conducted in collaboration with physicians and staff from the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Hauser is also conducting a prospective cohort study on children in Chapaevsk, Russia, where he is investigating the relationship of exposure to dioxins, dioxin-like compounds, chlorinated pesticides and phthalates with growth and pubertal development. Children in Chapaevsk are exposed to high levels of dioxins as a result of environmental contamination from a large complex of chemical plants in the city. The study is being conducted in collaboration with Russian investigators from the Chapaevsk Medical Association and scientists from the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow.